US corporate credit spreads widened beyond the weakest borrowers from September 25 to October 1, creating a broader test of whether tighter financing and reduced institutional risk-taking could pressure Bitcoin. The largest increase remained concentrated in CCC-and-lower debt, while investment-grade bonds showed a much smaller rise.
These option-adjusted spreads measure the premium over a Treasury curve. Their widening shows investors demanding more compensation to hold corporate debt. A borrower's total interest cost also depends on the Treasury component.
The ICE BofA CCC credit spread climbed from 11.28% to 12.15%, an increase of 87 basis points. Over the same dates, the broad high-yield spread rose from 2.93% to 3.24%, or 31 basis points. The investment-grade corporate spread increased from 0.81% to 0.86%, or 5 basis points.
